2025-2026 Mamie L Bass Service Synopsis
Be inspired by the Service projects shared by Altrusa District Nine Clubs...
Altrusa Arlington “Friends of Cupid”
Arlington’s Altrusa Club was honored to receive a Grant from Altrusa International Foundation for $2,500 to assist in our Valentine Bag project for Meals on Wheels clients. The Chair of Friends of Cupid was pivotal! She purchased items. She kept our members updated. After the items were purchased, we met to assemble the bags. We set up three tables and rotated the bags around each table. The last table put the Altrusa label on each bag, stapled it shut, and stored it. The following day, we had members deliver the Valentine Bags to Meals on Wheels in Ft. Worth, TX
Altrusa Copperas Cove “Stars for Soldiers”
Stars for Soldiers is a community service project in which Altrusa International of Copperas Cove (Altrusa) members hand cut and distribute stars with messages of gratitude to honor military, veterans, and first responders for their service. Stars for Our Troops was started by a national organization that Altrusa partnered with during our 2024-2025 fiscal year. It was developed to recognize and honor men and women who serve our nation. The project was created to ensure that active-duty military personnel and veterans know that their service and sacrifices are appreciated and remembered.
Altrusa Dallas “Make a Difference Day-SPAN Holiday Care Baskets”
For Make a Difference Day 2025, Altrusa International of Dallas partnered with Senior Pet Assistance Network (SPAN) to provide 55 holiday care baskets to low-income seniors. Supported by an Altrusa International grant and community partnerships, 100% of club members assembled baskets valued at approximately $45 each, filled with essential household items, books, puzzles, and treats. By caring for the seniors while SPAN cares for their pets, the project reduced isolation, strengthened community partnerships, and demonstrated Altrusa's commitment to service, literacy, and compassion.
Altrusa DFW “Fill the Gap”
Altrusa DFW’s Filling the Gap program addresses immediate needs by providing essential items to financially disadvantaged individuals and families through local social service agencies and schools. Our club distributed 6,900 diapers, large quantities of hygiene products, toiletries, laundry supplies, laundromat cards, and ready-to-eat meals. The entire club membership participated in collecting, purchasing, assembling, and distributing these resources. By tailoring assistance to each partner organization’s unique needs, Filling the Gap impacted approximately 2,500 individuals and families, helping remove barriers to health, dignity, and stability while promoting long-term self-sufficiency.
Altrusa Garland “Letting Kids BE Kids”
Imagine you are a kid…finding yourself in the emergency shelter…through no fault of yours… all you want is to be a regular kid…doing regular kid things. You wonder, “Will it ever be or even feel normal again?” You wish that someone remembered what matters to you...like having supplies for your first day of school. You hope that someone remembers your birthday is next week….because you’re afraid, in the midst of all that’s been happening in your family, it will be forgotten. Is there someone who can help this kid and those with similar stories just BE a kid?
Altrusa Greenville “Supporting Women and Children in Hunt County”
Supporting Women and Children in Hunt County addressed critical needs facing at risk women and girls in our local community. Partnering with the Raffa Clinic, local Independent School Districts, Women In Need shelter, Child Protective Services, the local police department, and local school nurses this project allowed us to support our most vulnerable. Altrusa Greenville provided hygiene items, coloring/note books/journals, age-appropriate toys, and essential items including; packages of wipes, sweatpants, t-shirts, pajamas, socks, underwear, literary books, gifts for mothers in crisis, and feminine hygiene kits for students. The project strengthened dignity
Altrusa Pampa “Children’s Shopping Tour”
For more than 20 years, Altrusa of Pampa has partnered with the Children’s Shopping Tour, a program that teaches children the joy of giving by shopping for gifts for their families. This year was especially meaningful as our President served as General Chair, with two members on the steering committee. Altrusans shopped with children, wrapped gifts, staffed the Santa table, and sponsored shoppers. Each child received a new coat, and families received $100 in food vouchers. ASTRA members entertained participants after lunch. The tour served 51 children shopping for 275 family members, with 13 Altrusans contributing 64 volunteer hours.
Altrusa Richardson “Sophomore Sisters TRAC Move-In Initiative”
This year’s Sophomore Sisters Project for Altrusa International of Richardson supported young adults transitioning out of foster care through TRAC. To ease their move into independent living, 14 members dedicated ~115 volunteer hours to assemble 24 move-in kits and 40 kitchen starter bags filled with household essentials and encouraging cards. Financed through an initial $1,500 budget, chapter donations, and an Amazon Wish List, members maximized resources to supply kit contents. This initiative successfully transformed empty apartments into homes, equipping vulnerable youth with dignity, preparation, and vital community support.
Altrusa San Antonio “Recycle for Rescues And Tales for Tales”
Altrusa San Antonio Members are great animal lovers. We sought to help animals most in need by reaching out through the local animal shelters to see what they needed most. They needed towels, blankets and items the staff used every day to keep the pets warm clean and dry. Empty medication bottles to dispense small quantities, and books for their little readers. Everyone helped as they could. Collections were organized, assembly began and products delivered. At least 360 people were helped and animals loved. Club camaraderie skyrocketed, recycled items saved and books delivered. A true Trifecta for the cause.
Altrusa Temple “Family Promise– Stock the Promise Houses”
The homeless population in Bell County Texas is estimated to be 400 individuals, of which as many as 40 people are unhoused on any given night. Family Promise of Bell County is a transitional housing program for homeless families, assisting them through a goal-oriented program toward independence. Through the efforts of Altrusa Temple who shopped and provided the necessary items for eight new guest shelters, Family Promise was able to keep their word to the families they support. With 40% of the members assisting with this project at a cost of $8,713.66, 114% more families have been housed this year--
Altrusa Waxahachie “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”
The Altrusa Bear Hunt Literacy Project was a free family-centered literacy event hosted by Altrusa International of Waxahachie in partnership with Nicholas P. Sims Library and Impact Communities. Inspired by ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”, the event combined a bear-themed scavenger hunt, story time, teddy bear stuffing, literacy activities, and take-home reading materials. Serving approximately 60-65 children and 100-120 total participants, the project promoted early childhood literacy, strengthened family engagement, increased awareness of library resources, and created a joyful, replicable model for community-based literacy programming.